Knockdown collapsible wardrobe



'AV8' 7 l945.- c. RosENTHAL 2,331,4644

l KNOCK-DOWN COLLAPSIBLE WARDROBHE Filed Sept. 22, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR.

AUE- 7 1945- c. RosENTl-IAL KNOCK-DOWN COLLAPSIBLE WARDROBE Filed sept. 22,1943 Y 2 sheets-sheet 2 AfraRA/Eys Patented Aug. v7, 1945 S .OFFICE l y This invention relates to: wardrobes of :thetype which-are sold anddelivered tothe purchaser in ay knocked down collapsediconditon and the" invention is particularly directedl to improvementsl therein so as to greatly simplify and facilitate the operations incident to the wardrobe. f

yThe great majority ofwardrobes of this type have presented a serious problem tolall concerned due to the diiculties and complications met with on partei' the `average purchaser when he aty -tempts/.to set up the wardrobe. In order tol overy come these difficulties and objections, the instant V invention broadly comprehends an improved wardrobe .of the typefset forth wherein the units whichv constitute the top and bottom sections are -readilyand initiallyconnected to each other' in spaced superposed relation by upright spacing strip uni-ts after which aV plurality of folda'ble or collapsiblel body units may. be easily applied` thereto sov that the setting up operation may be accomplished with the greatest facility and without the difficulty and complications usually eny An important object of the invention resides in the production of an improved wardrobeof the indicated characterl wherein the body forml ing units whichare preferably fashioned of lcorrugatedpaper -or iiberboard, may be more economically produced than heretofore dueto the fact that .they require only straight or square cuts and scoring andr in the less expensive types of wardrobes-they are merely bound by adhesive tape applied to themarginal edges thereof.

As a further feature, the invention contemplates the vprovision of a shelf togetherV with meansfor supporting the same by the spacing strip.r units independently of and without imposing any .of the supporting strains or stresses upon the body units. Y

v With ltheabove enumerated and other objects inf` View, the kinvention'is set forth ingreater detailin the following specification, particularly the setting .up of 7 rliig.5 isya.. perspective View ofthe shelf unit separated fromV the wardrobe.

.Referring to the drawings by characters of reerenCetheWardrObe includes top and bottom iunitsA and B, front andrear spacing strip units C andD, a pair of body units E and F andashelf unit G. l l

AThe' top and bottom units A and B are of identical construction and each provides a wall I0 havinga marginal edge Il which is' rabbeted to provide a' reduced inwardly oifset inner portion t2 dening a shoulder I3 intermediate the thickness or height of the marginal edge H'. Asshown, the vWall lil is preferably in the form of a panel of fiber. or paper board, corrugated paper or the likewhich is carried and enclosed by a marginal frame-I4 of wood defining the said marginal edge l i.

Thefront and rear spacingy strip unitszC andxl) 2o which-fare ofl identical construction, a-rer eachy `preferably fashioned froml a length or strip' of wood l5 which is longitudinally rabbeted as. at I6 at the-'juncture of the outerface and side edges: so that the stripiis of cross sectional T- shape configuration, with .the rabbeted portion thereof corresponding in size to the size of the rabbeted orA reduced inwardly oiset portion l2 of the :top and bottom units. yThe inner sides of the strips I5 at the uppery and lower ends are projecting` tongues il and I8 which are of a thickness and length corresponding to thethickness and heightA of the rabbeted or reduced inwardly offset inner portions of the topi and bottom units. n `This also provides shoulders `I9 and 2l] which engage wthnthe inwardly disposed surfaces pointed oui-,in the appendedclaims and illusf.

tratedinthe accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a Wardrobe constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the same 'in set up condition. Fig-2 ,is a vertical sectional View therethrough taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

1 Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View ofthe same takenon the line 3-f3 of Fig. 1.

Fig., 4 is a, Collective perspectiveL view ofy the `Wardrobewith the units thereof in separated., i

juxtaposition.. A, a

of the topv and bottom unitsA and B to verticallyy space the same in superposed relation when the top and bottom junits are assembled 'in set up relation with .the spacing strip units C and D.

Any suitable means may be provided for connecting and retaining the top, bottom and spacing strip units in assembled set up condition but, as

shown, said means consists of cam 'actuated latch elements 25 carried by the strip units and keeper elementsV 26 carried by the top and bottom umts.

The body units E and F are also of identical;l construction and the same are each fashioned from a rectangular sheet of any suitable material such as corrugated ber or paper board stock.

which vis provided with score lines 30 andA 3l to provide hingedly connected panels 32, 33 and' 34 which permitsr folding of the units to a compact collapsed arrangement for storage andA shipment.. Thegmarginalfedges of the bodyy units. may be..

length of the side edges of the reduced inwardly offset inner portions l2 of the top and bottom units A and B, while the width of the front and rear panels 32 and 33 of Said body units E and F respectively corresponds to the length of the front .and rear edges of the reduced inwardly offset inner portions I2 of said top and bottom units from their juncture with side edges thereof to the side edges of the tongues II and I8.

Any desired form of means may be utilized to` secure and retain the body unitsE and F in assembled relation with the top and bottom units A and B so that the upper and lower edges of the rear and side panels 33 and 34 of the body units are disposed between the shoulders I3 of the top and bottom units, with the upper and lower end portions of said panels impinged against the reduced inwardly offset inner portions of the marginal edges II. The means shown consists of a plurality of turn buttons 38 pivotally mounted on the marginal rear and side edges II of the top and bottom units which may be readily swung from their active positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 where they extend into overlying relation with the upper and lower end portions of the panels 33 and 34 to theinactive out-of-the-way position shown in Fig. 4.

The front panels 32 of the body units E and F serve as doors or closure members for the front of the wardrobe and are preferably provided with knobs 39 for facilitating the opening and closing of the same. Any suitable retaining means such as the turn buttons 40 pivotally mounted on the front spacing strip unit C may be employed for releasably holding the front panels 32 in closed relation with the wardrobe where the freemarginal edge portions fit within the rabbeted edge portions of the top and bottom units and the spacing strip unit C. Similar turn button elements 4I pivotally mounted on the rear spacing strip. unit D are utilized vfor assisting inretaining the vertical free edges of the rear panels 33 against said unit.

The'shelf unit G which is designed for optional use with the wardrobe consists of a wooden frame 45 enclosing a panel 46. frame at the front and rear is formed with notches 41 and the portions of the frame at said notches are adapted to be engaged within the clips 48 carried by the inner faces of the spacing strip units C and D. A garment hanger supporting bar 50 is also provided which has secured to the opposite ends thereof the arms for suspending the bar'from the shelf by the engagement of the key hole slots 52 in said arms over headed studs 53 propecting inwardly from the opposite end rails of the frame 45. If the shelf unit G is not used, the hanger supporting bar 50 may be supported directly by the wardrobe by engaging the key hole slots of the arms 5I over the headed studs 54 provided for the purpose and projecting inwardly from the opposite side rails of the frame I4 of the top unit A.

In setting up the wardrobe, the bottom unit B is placed on the floor with the reduced inwardly offset inner portion I2 disposed upwardly and the spacing strip units C and D are placed thereon in an upright position and then assembled therewith by fitting the same in place and secur-v ing them by the latch and keeper means 25 andi 26. If the shelf unit G is to be used-it is assem- The lower edge of the bled with the spacing strip units C and D by placing said shelf unit therebetween and engaging the, portions of the frame adjacent the notches 4l with the clips 48. The top unit A is next assembled with the spacing strip units C and D by tting said top unit on the upper ends of the strip 'units and fastening the latchy and keeper means 25 and 26. The body units E and F are then assembled by placing the side panels 34 against the sides of the top and bottom frames I4 to lie against the reduced inwardly offset inner portions I2 of the marginal edges II thereof so that the panels 34 lie between the shoulders I3 and the turn buttons 38 are then swung to positions where they overlie the upper and lower edge portions of the panels 34. The rear panels are similarly positioned against the frames I4 and are secured and retained in place .by the turn buttons 38 and 4I. The front panels 32 of the body units E and F are left free to swing to and from their open and' closed relation to the wardrobe so as to serve .as doors and are adapted to'be releaseably retained in closed position by the turn buttons 4I).

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that a portable knock-down collapsible wardrobe has been devised which may be readily set up by anyone without diiliculty or the complications usually met with in wardrobes of these types now in general use.

What is claimed is:

l. In a knock-down collapsible wardrobe, top and bottom units having rabbeted outer marginal edges defining shoulders intermediate the width thereof, spacing strip units having corresponding rabbeted outer side edges with the opposite ends thereof cut away to provide reduced outer terminals fitted within the rabbeted marginal edges of the top and bottom units and dening inner shoulders engageable with the confronting inner faces of said top and bottom units, means for detach- `ably connecting said spacing strip units to the top and bottom units so as to dispose the rabbeted portions of said units in mating relation, body units having hingedly connected panels fitted within said mating rabbeted portions, a shelf unit, clip elements secured to the inner faces of 'the spacing strip units adapted to engage over opposite edges of the shelf unit, and means for releaseably retaining the vbody units within the rabbeted portions of the spacing strips and the top and bottom units.

2. In a knock-down collapsible wardrobe, top and bottom units each having marginal edges formed with inwardly offset portions defining a continuous shoulder, a pair of spacing strip units at opposite sides of and between the top and bottom units and supporting the top unit on the bottom unit, detachable means for connecting at least one of the spacing strip units at the opposite ends thereof respectively to the top and bottom units, and a pair of body units each including hingedly connected front, rear and side panels positioned with reference to the assembled top, bottom and spacing strip units so that the body units are disposed between the shoulders of the top and bottom units and the upper and lower end portions of thebody unit panels lie against the inwardly o-lfset portions of the top and bottom units, means pivotally carried by the outwardly disposed portions of the marginal edges of the top and bottom units adapted to be swung to positions overlying the end portions of the panels for retaining the body units in assembled relation Yto the set up top, bottom and spacing strip units, and means releaseably retaining the 1na1s fitted within the rabbeted marginal edges of the top'and bottom units vand defining inner shoulders engageable with the confronting inner faces of said top and ybottom units,y means for detachably connecting said` spacing strip units to the top and bottom units so as to dispose the rabbeted portionsof said units in mating relation, body units having hingedly connected panels tted within said matingrabbeted portions, a shelf unit, means provided on the spacing strip units engaging with opposite side edge portions of the shelf unit for supporting the same in a horizontal position therebetween, and means for releaseably yretaining the body units within the rabbeted portions of the spacing strips and the top and bottom units.

CHARLES RosENTHAL. 

